The choice was either to move or get off plane
It’s hard to believe that in 2018 something like this could happen but apparently, it did. Alaskan Airlines is currently investigating a situation where a gay couple was told they had to give up their seats so that a straight couple could sit together.
The incident happened on Sunday, July 30 and involved Mr. David Cooley, an openly gay business man and founder of West Hollywood’s popular club, The Abbey.
Here’s what happened – he and his partner were traveling on a transcontinental flight from New York to Los Angeles. That’s a fairly long trip with an average flying time of over five hours.
At any rate, just prior to takeoff, a flight attendant apparently advised Cooley’s companion to get up from his premium seat and move to a different one in the main cabin.
Bear in mind he was not given a choice. He either had to move or get tossed of the aircraft.
And why did this happen? Apparently, so that a heterosexual couple could sit together for the long flight.
Here is what Cooley shared on his Facebook page:
“I have never been so discriminated against while traveling before. I was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight # 1407 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to LAX to give preferential treatment to a straight couple.
After my traveling companion and I had been seated in our assigned seats for a while, we were approached by the flight attendant and my companion was asked to move from his premium seat to coach, so a couple could sit together.”
Getting off the plane
“I explained that we were a couple and wanted to sit together,” Cooley stated. “He was given a choice to either give up the premium seat and move to coach or get off the plane.
We could not bear the feeling of humiliation for an entire cross-country flight and left the plane. I cannot believe that an airline in this day and age would give a straight couple preferential treatment over a gay couple and go so far as to ask us to leave.
“We will never be flying Alaska Airlines or their recently purchased Virgin Airlines Group ever again. Thank you to Delta Air Lines for getting us home safe. If you are an #LGBT person, please spend your travel dollars with an LGBT friendly airline like Delta”
Alaska Airlines Investigating
Gay Star News is reporting that Alaska Airlines has opened up an investigation into what happened. The airline does confirm the incident took place. Here’s a statement from the carrier, as reported on GSN:
“When boarding flight 1407 from JFK to LAX, a couple was mistakenly assigned the same seats as another couple in Premium Class. We reseated one of the guests from Premium Class in the Main Cabin.
We are deeply sorry for the situation, and are investigating the details while communicating directly with the guests involved to try and make this right.
Alaska Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind, and our employees value inclusion for our guests and each other.”
Records show the aircraft for flight 1407 (airline code AS) is an Airbus A320. Here is the seat map from Seat Guru so that you can see the configuration of the plane.
In 2016, Virgin America acquired Alaska Airlines.
[h/t: GSN]
